22 FEBRUARY 2018

In today’s edition of Ask The Editor (ATE), we mull over our recent Sugar Ray Leonard-Floyd Mayweather Jr picks, attempt to dissect the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr non-negotiations, question why David Haye won’t fight the Klitschkos, analyse the direction of Anthony Mundine’s career and much more.

Name : Paul TononoCountry : South AfricaYour Question : Hi guys, been a regular visitor on this site for more than 10 years and I think it’s safe to say I’ve read every ATE in that time span. Now I’ve read over and over again how you all agree, whenever readers ask you, that it’s impossible to compare fighters from different eras. Now imagine my shock when I read your SO Team picks Leonard-Mayweather article. I was surprised, even more, at how easy it seemed for everyone to decide how these fighters from different eras would fare against each other. I guess a good dose of Mayweather hating can make anyone do the impossible. It was entertaining reading, nevertheless. So are we gonna have a few of those in the future or was it just a once off? I’ve got a few match-ups that also interest me and would love your picks on them. Here are but a few: 1) Marvin Hagler-Carlos Monzon 2)Muhammad Ali-Rocky Marciano 3) Muhammad Ali-Lennox Lewis 4) Bernard Hopkins-Marvin Hagler & just for the fun of it, humour me on Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao

CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Paul, I do understand some people really like these comparisons with fighters from different eras but I’m not a great fan because it is impossible to ever find out whose right and whose wrong, though it can be fun to analyse. So here we go with my pics from your list1. Carlos Monzon pts 2. Muhammad Ali pts3. Lennox Lewis pts4. Marvin Hagler pts5. Floyd Mayweather pts

JERRY GLICK ANSWERS: First of all my pick of Leonard was not based on a Floyd hate thing. I like Floyd. I think he is misunderstood. As far as your dream fights if you are looking for picks (mine are all based on the fighter’s best day) here it goes; Monzon beats almost all middleweights except Robinson; Ali beats all the other heavies including the Klitschkos; Hopkins-Hagler is a tough call. It’s really a pick’em fight but I’ll go with Hagler. As for Floyd-Pacman, I have said often and loud, Mayweather by decision.

Name : Wayne LordCountry : CanadaYour Question : You recently did Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr, which I felt would have been a one sided stoppage inside 10 rounds. I felt Floyd was way better at 130 and 135 but IMO has not faced the number or quality at 140 or 147 to be seen as a great at those weights. My question is how do you see him competing against past greats at 130 and 135. Although I think Floyd may be on his way to the HOF, I do not see him among the very elite due to the fact that he personally does not seem to have kept that drive he initially had to be the best he could be. Ali made fun of guys to get them in the ring and build up a fight. Floyd derides guys it seems, to avoid having to face them. And please do not use the Mosley fight as a reason to anoint him as a great welter. Mosley was old, he had not fought for 15+ months and was at a huge disadvantage having to go thru two sets of training camps which at his age left him a shadow of himself. Can you imaging Leonard, Hearns, Duran or even Pacquiao hurting him in the 2nd rd and not having the energy to zap him? It seemed so strange to see Mosley dead tired after 2 rds!

CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: I see your point Wayne, every one of those fighters you mentioned would have punished Floyd at their peak. But I suspect Floyd would not have been so easy to hit had he been facing one of those fighters you mentioned.

GREGORY JUCKETT ANSWERS: Wayne, considering the God-given skills Mayweather possesses, plus his clean-living lifestyle; I think Floyd would be able to compete with and defeat many of the past greats at junior lightweight and lightweight. Don’t doubt about it!

PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Floyd Mayweather Jr is undefeated and would be competitive with any welterweight in history. I said competitive. I don’t think he wins every fight. If he kept fighting the very best, eventually, he would lose. Which brings me to the business at hand. If Mayweather doesn’t fight Manny Pacquiao, it will be held against him in future years. No good saying you could beat Sugar Ray Robinson if you won’t even fight the best opponent around in your own era.

JERRY GLICK ANSWERS: I think Floyd would do well against the best 130 and 135 pound greats. Only a handful would have beaten him. I think Duran would have, Carlos Ortiz too. Otherwise, I think it would have been amazing to see Floyd against Pernell Whitaker.

Name : Aaron PierceCountry : USAYour Question : Well, the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr negotiations or no negotiations got me confused. The whole planet, except for Team Mayweather, was aware that Top Rank had set a deadline for a deal to be done. Now Mayweather’s people say there was never any negotiations at all, even though Bob Arum says he was going through Ross Greenburg at HBO to make a deal. What was going on?

CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Hi Aaron. Its like Arum said, he was dealing with Ross Greenberg at HBO. Greenberg confirmed it. Pacquiao had a date to fight on November 13, which is why Arum forced the deadline. We all know by now that Mayweather’s trainer and Uncle Roger Mayweather is due on trial for assault. Regardless of what happens training would be interrupted and that’s no good for Floyd. I make Floyd right. He can’t into the biggest fight of his life with those kind of distractions.

GREGORY JUCKETT ANSWERS: Aaron, your guess is as good as mine. I’m tired of this charade. Boxing needs Pacquiao-Mayweather to get made, but it’s not looking like its going to happen in 2010.

PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: It’s boxing. This is par for the course. The fans just need to keep demanding the best fights and boycott the garbage.

JERRY GLICK ANSWERS: It may only be a matter of interpretation. One side calls it negotiations but the other sees it another way. More likely the two sides are full of ego and control issues. Only they really know what has happened at the table, if anything. Now Arum is shopping for a venue for a Pacman-Margarito fight. Another in house show and Floyd, well, we’ll see. I still believe that it will happen.

Name : Joe ShineCountry : USAYour Question : Don’t you feel David Haye should be forced to fight either of the Klitschkos or give up his belt? He is making a mockery of the title he holds by fighting no one and avoiding the real title holders. It’s a shame someone like Haye has such a prestigious belt and makes light of it.

CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Hi Joe. The problem I have with David is he kept harping on about how he was gonna bring back credibility to the division. He slagged off the Klitschko brothers and called the rest of the heavyweights, fat, slow and useless. But he has done absolutely nothing to add credibility to the heavyweight division. David has totally disrespected both Klitschko brothers like the proverbial bully. But when it comes to the realty of sharing a boxing ring with one of them he has become predictably quiet. If David wants to be taken seriously then he must fight one of the Klitschko’s. Nothing else is acceptable. For the record I have no problem Haye fighting Audley Harrison but don’t insult our intelligence and call it a world heavyweight title fight.

GREGORY JUCKETT ANSWERS: Joe, I’m not sure what Haye and his team have been up to, but if Haye is really avoiding match-ups with the Klitschkos, that’s a crime because he’s the one guy holding a heavyweight belt right now who I believe offers some charisma (be it good or bad).

PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Just like Mayweather and Pacquiao, if David Haye doesn’t fight either of the Klitschko brothers, it will be held against him when it comes to measuring his success. Haye signed to fight both brothers and pulled out of the matches. He won the WBA title and won’t be giving it up. But he needs to make a fight with either Wladimir or Vitali.

JERRY GLICK ANSWERS: That’s another fight that I see happening. Haye vs. a Klitschko is inevitable so don’t strip him yet.

Name : William WadeCountry : GermanyYour Question : Hi SO, Just wondering what your thoughts are on John Murray, European Lightweight Champion, if you think he could challenge right now for any of the world titles out there at Lightweight or Light- Welterweight, and who would be the best pick for him?

CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: William, I like John Murray but feel he needs to tighten up his defence before moving up to world class.

Name : Dennis ButwellCountry : AustraliaYour Question : Hi guys. My question is mainly directed at Paul Upham but the rest of you guys please feel free to share your opinion. What do you think of Mundine continuing to fight ’pub locals’ when he keeps on saying he wants to fight the best? To me he is a joke and an embarrassment to Australian boxing. Its time to step up or go away forever! He was ranked No.1 in the WBA at middleweight and could of fought Felix Sturm yet he decided to drop down to super welterweight to fight the best. He has no chance at fighting Mayweather, yet I can’t believe he is ranked no.2 in the WBA for Cotto’s crown.

GREGORY JUCKETT ANSWERS: Dennis, Mundine has definitely had a strange career. I don’t know enough about him to be too negatively critical, but Cotto-Mundine sounds like a decent fight if it ever comes to pass.

PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Certainly, since Anthony Mundine defeated Danny Green, his career has not progressed with the big fights at an international level. Even many Mundine fans have said to me they wished he made the leap to the USA, but it hasn’t happened. Next up for Mundine is Ryan Waters on 15 September in Wollongong. The winner gets a shot at the WBA world title at 154lbs. If Mundine can beat Ryan and get a fight with Miguel Cotto, great, it is long overdue.

Name : Trevor MetzCountry : ChinaYour Question : Hey guys, I am Canadian and I have been reading a lot about this David Lemieux. How good is this kid? It seems he is taking a lot of steps in the right direction and his level of competition looks decent on paper, but is this kid as good as his record suggests? He seems to have frightful power. Thanks.

CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Hi Trevor. I honestly believe David has heavy hands. He can certainly punch at 160lbs. I do believe he can go all the way but we have to remember he is still only 21 years old. It’s a tough one because he is 23-0 with 22 ko’s but is still so young. So do you move him up now or wait until he matures a bit more? If he’s handled right I do think he has a very exciting future ahead of him.

GREGORY JUCKETT ANSWERS: Trevor, so far – so good regarding Lemieux…he’s an exciting fighter who comes forward and takes a good punch. He’s not super skillful, but he’s being handled/matched correctly.

JERRY GLICK ANSWERS: He does look good. Lots of guys come up fast like him. Just give it time to see how he develops.

Name : Joel HillierCountry : UKYour Question : Purely out of intrigue, anyone know what happened to Roman Greenberg after he got beat? The guy seems to have vanished!

JERRY GLICK ANSWERS: Joel, I’ve also wondered about Greenberg. Maybe some of my SO.com colleagues have some new info?

CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Joel, last I heard he was back in Israel, ticking over in training but little else. You can never say never but I don’t see him boxing again any time soon.

PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Roman’s probably still trying to work out who the real undisputed heavyweight world champion is so he knows who to challenge. I still can’t work it out.